 |
| Mom never stops being your mother |
Whether it's a sports drink, glass of orange juice or a scoop of fat-free ice cream -- all of the ingested sugar floods into your bloodstream like a tsnuami.
You instantly get a rush energy from the feel-good brain chemical serotonin.
Most brain cells are influenced in some way by serotonin. This includes brain cells related to mood, sexual function, sleep, memory and learning, and appetite. No wonder sweet things make us feel so good.
Your body promptly reacts to this sudden spike in blood sugar. Your body calls your body's pancreas, and boom, just like that, it begins to produce additional insulin to remove the excess sugar from your blood.
In that split second, your blood sugar is significantly lowered as a result of the insulin doing its job.
This results in an overwhelming feeling that you need need more sugar, more fuel, more energy and more calories. Hand to mouth, you eat or drink more food with simple sugar.
You have just initiated the sugar craving cycle.
Most people use sugar every day, especially during holidays when awesome meals and incredible desserts tempt even the health conscious soul. It didn't used to be that way.
Before the 19th century, there were only the rich and the poor, no middle class. Sugar was not plentiful, and it was considered a luxury enjoyed by the wealthy. In Old French, desservir meant "to clear the table." Dessert became a finale enjoyed at the end of the meal.
Today, sugar is plentiful, a staple in the kitchen. In 2009-2010, approximately 154 million metric tons of sugar was produced worldwide.
Even though nutritionists warn that consuming sugar in foods can be dangerous, causing heart attacks, hypertension, diabetes and tooth decay, people nod their heads in agreement with big eyes -- and continue to indulge in sweetened foods. Sugar is too powerful to resist and hungry and non-hungry mouths are driven to the the taste of sweet goodness.
Sugar is a soluble carbohydrate (carb). Carbohydrates break down into glucose during digestion.
Pastries, pancakes with butter dripping with lick-your-lips maple syrup, and so many more mouthwatering and satisfying sweet foods.
But carbohydrates turn to sugar when digested. Sugar includes savory foods, too, such as hamburgers, french fries and just about any white food.
I guess that explains why "you just can't eat one" as the potato chip ads claim.
There are conflicting reports as to the nature of sugar's impact on the body, but none is good.
Consumer Reports on Health stated in 2008, "Some of the supposed dietary dangers of sugar have been overblown. Many studies have debunked the idea that it causes hyperactivity,
University of Iowa Health Care notes glucose that exists beyond your body’s storage capacity for glycogen turns into fat. Dr. Robert Lustig of the University of California San Francisco warns that consistent, excessive sugar intake disrupts your normal eating pattern, causes overeating and leads to obesity.
When you choose to enjoy sugar whether sweet or savory carb, it's a good idea to limit servings and portion sizes. Moderation is the key to enjoying a healthy, balanced meal, isn't it?
* Sources: Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Help Guide Organization, Wikipedia, A New Mode, Diabetes Library, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, The Sugar Association, Brian Calkins, WebMD, Statista, ehow
You, your doctor and common sense are the best judge of how you feel, and what you eat for a long, active and healthy life.